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Saturday, May 30, 2015

The Legacy Brain Foundation



May is Brain Tumor Awareness Month. I am writing today to help bring awareness to the Legacy Brain Foundation founded by Dr Virginia Stark-Vance, an oncologist at Medical City Dallas Hospital.

"The Legacy Brain Foundation was founded by brain tumor patients, their family members, and their physicians. We saw a need in North Texas for an organization dedicated to raising awareness of brain and spinal cord (neurological) tumors, as well as how the diagnosis of one of these tumors affects the patient and their family. Several female patients noted the success of breast cancer organizations in raising awareness, supporting research, and pursuing a cure for breast cancer. The Ladies of Legacy organization was formed to fill the need that these women saw to aggressively pursue those same goals as they related to neurological tumors. While many of the initial programs and events targeted female patients, the board voted to enlarge the scope of the organization in 2007 to reach out to all brain and spinal cord tumor patients in North Texas.This led to the official formation of the Legacy Brain Foundation. While less common than breast cancer, so much so that they have gained designation as "orphan diseases", neurological tumors typically have a more devastating impact on the patient and their family. Some patients have significant neurological impairment, may require weeks or months of therapy, or may never be able to return to work due to the effects of the tumor or the treatments.  The implications of a diagnosis extend to caregivers, families, and friends as well and often have a much more profound effect on those individuals.Even with the encouraging medical advances of the last few years, patients diagnosed with a neurological tumor face an uncertain future."

MISSION
​OUR MISSION IS TO SUPPORT PATIENTS WITH BRAIN OR SPINAL CORD TUMORS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES THROUGH PUBLIC AWARENESS, EDUCATION, GRANTS AND SERVICES; CREATING A BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE FOR PATIENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES.

VISION
OUR VISION IS TO CREATE A LEGACY OF LOVE THAT WILL LEAD TO A BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE FOR PATIENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES NOW AND IN THE FUTURE. WE BELIEVE OUR FOUNDATION WILL RAISE PUBLIC AWARENESS OF BRAIN AND SPINAL CORD TUMORS IN OUR COMMUNITY. IT IS OUR HOPE THAT THIS COMMUNITY OF MEN, WOMEN, THEIR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES WILL REACH OUT ACROSS OUR NATION, SHARING THE LBF STORY TO ENABLE US TO TOUCH MORE AND MORE LIVES AFFECTED BY BRAIN TUMORS AND SPINAL CORD TUMORS.

Unfortunately, the most common brain tumors are malignant. Please consider supporting the Legacy Brain Foundation or similar organizations in a concerted effort to bring aid and comfort to patients and their caregivers, as well as fund research toward better treatment options and improved preventative and diagnostic techniques.

The LBF logo was created by my brother Todd


 

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